Cap feeding apparatus



Dec. 8, 1942. w. o. BELL CAP FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed April 8, 1939 3 Sheets--Sheet 1 |NVENTOR lHlam D. Bell.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 8, 1942. w. BELL, 2,304,436

CAP FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed April 8, 1939 3 Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR William D. Ball.

ATTORN EYS Dec. 8, 1942, w, m 2,304,436

CAP FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed April 8, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet '3 INVENTOR William D. Bell.

M WW ATTORNEYS I Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATE PAT'EN T OFFICE CAP FEEDING APPARATUS William D. Bell, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 8, 1939, Serial No.

266,913. Divided andthis application December 12,1939, Serial No. 308,864

4 Claims.

My invention relates to cap feeding apparatus.

n has to do, more particularly, with apparatus for cap feeding apparatus of the type indicated which may be easily and quickly adJusted so that it may be used with caps of various diameters and thicknesses.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a cap feeding device of the type indicated of such a nature that the caps will be fed in a single line in edge-to-edge relationship and there will be no danger of one cap riding up on the adjacent cap causing clogging of the device.

Another object of my invention is to providecap feeding apparatus of the type indicated which will feed the cap into position to be engaged by the container but there will be no danger of the cap leaving the device until it is engaged by the upper end of the container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cap feeding device of the type indicated in the preceding paragraph which is of such a nature that when the container engages the cap and tends to withdraw it from the cap feeding device, there will be no danger of the container being upset.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 266,913, filed April 8, 1939,

and directed to Method and apparatus for sealing containers.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsflwherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding-parts and wherein:

Figure l is a top planview of a container sealing machine having my cap feeding device associated therewith. v

Figure 2 is a view mainly in longitudinal section but partly in side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, showing my cap feeding and applying device.

Figure 4 is a side elevational viewshowing the lower portion of the cap feeding device.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a slightly modifiedform of cap feeding device.

With reference to the drawings, I have illus- 1 trated a machine of the type disclosed in my copending application S. N. 266,913. This machine comprises a table i which supports a conveyor unit I on its upper end. A cap feeding and applying unit 3 and a sealing head unit 4 are supported above the conveyor unit. a

The conveyor unit I is described in detail in said co-pending application. .As disclosed in said application, the conveyor unit 2 is driven continuously from an electric motor 35.

As described in said application, the containers are placed indiscriminately on the conveyor and are moved in the direction of the arrow "by the conveyor. My invention is not limitedto any particular type of container and cooperating cap but for illustrative purposes I have shown a container which has at its upper end a reduced portion 31 adapted to receive a cap 38. The cap preferably embodies a substantially disk-like portion 39 which has a depending annular skirt 46. 6

After the containers are positioned on the conveyor, they are first carried between a pair of fingers 42. These fingers will serve to center the containers on the conveyor belt in the manner described in my said co-pending application.

The containers are then carried by the conveyor to the cap feeding and applying unit 3. The cap feeding and applying unit is illustrated best in Figures 3. 4 and 5 and comprises a downwardly inclined and curved runway or chute ill. The chute ill is composed of a pair of spaced angle members 5|. These angle members ii are inclined downwardly and their lower ends are curved to such an extent that the lower portions thereof are substantially horizontal and almost parallel with the conveyor. The caps are adapted to rest on the members ii, the members Ii being spaced properly so that the caps will bridge such space.

, The members 5| may be adjusted towards and away from each otherso that the chute'is adaptable' to caps of varying diameters. For this purpose the members 5! are carried by blocks 52 having threaded openings formed therein through the shaft 53 is rotated by means of the knob 55,

themembers II will be moved towards and away I provide 'a' member 1 spring tends to 2 9,804,436 r from each other so that the chute can be adpins 18 which are secured to the members 5|. .iultedtoflt caps of any size. The rear ends of these members 11 are joined It will be apparent that the caps will lie flat on the members ll andwill slide downthe chute in edge-to-edge relationship. In order to pre- 5 vent one cap from riding upon the adjacent can, 56 which is spaced slightly above. the members 5| and extends parallel thereto. member 0 has a1 flat lower surface which. will be airport in contact normally with m tin-w"mem or the earn-me when will pre-' from riding up onto eachl other. I'm I ?M"iltrilfl!y earried'by .51 winch located to brerikete so. These hm" it!" eallarall which are disposed 15 n inn-liner became uper down on the busty ll and, M .in' (MM position by tightening Milt-w ll the distance between nrembera "and Ii. Thus the chute may go be adjusted for caps .01 ditterent thickness as well as for caps of different diameters.- The f brackets ll which carry the shaft 53 are also provided with collars 62 disposed on the posts 60 and which may be held in adjusted position Q thereon by means of setscrews 63. Thus, the members 5| may also be raised or lowered as a unit.

. As lndicatedinFigure 5, each of the members il-is provided. its lower end with a finger 84 pivoted at B! to a. bracket i6 attached to the side of members ll; The outer end of each of these fingers i4 is provided with an inwardly directed portion 61 which carries a depending portion 61b adapted to engage the edge of the lowermost cap as it leaves the chute. A spring 610. is associated with the pivot point 65 and tends to force-the fingers 84 inwardly into engagement with the cap. It will be apparent from Figure 5 that the memberterminates a short distance upwardly from the lower ends of the members 5|. This member 56 carries at its lower end a finger 58 (Figure 4) which is pivoted to 2. lug formed on the top thereof as at 69. Thefinger 68 extends beyond the lower end of member 56 and a depending portion 10 disposed a short distance above the extreme lower ends of members ii. A stop member 1i in the form of a setscrew is provided on the finger and engages the member 56 to limit downward movement of the lower end of the finger. A spring 12 has its lower end connected to the rear end of the finger l8 and its upper end connected to a bracket 13 which is also secured to the member 56. This throw the lower end of the finget 68 downwardly and, as stated before, this movement is limited by the stop 1|. As indicated in Figure 4,-this stop 1| is normally so adjusted that the portion 10 of the finger will almost contact with the rear portion of the cap. as it leaves 60 the chute. However, it will not contact with the cap unless the rear portion of the cap tends to tilt upwardly.

The lower end of the cap chute also has a flexible rubber roller 14 associated therewith. This roller is positively driven and will bear upon. the top of the lowermost cap as the cap is withdrawn from the cap chute and will aid in the withdrawal of the cap from the chute. This roller is keyed on a transversely extending shaft 7 1. The outer ends of this shaft are rotatably mounted in bearing members 16. These bearing members 16 are carried on the forward ends of arms 11. These arms 11 are carried adjacent theirrear ends on outwardly projecting pivot together (Figure 3) by a transversely thereof. In order to determine the shu un t.

- the diameter thereof.

- driving means in bar 19 which extends vertical position of the roller 14, a pair of stop members in the form of setscrews are provided on the members 5i. The lower ends of these screws bear against the bar 19. It will be apparent that if these screws are screwed downwardly, it will cause the rollers 14 to be raised and vice verse.

7 In the operation of this cap-feeding and ap- They will slide dorm through the chute. by gravity until :the low- -errnost. cap assumes 8.130511210n in which it proiects byend the. end of the chute, as 'lllustrated in Figure 4. The lowermost cap will be held from falling out of the runway by the spring-pressed fingers 64 which will contact with the periphery thereof at opposite points slightly in advance of The roller 14 will not yet contact with the top of the cap and the portion 19 of finger 68 will also normally not be in contact therewith. It will be noted that the skirt of the cap is thus disposed in a position where it will be contacted by the mouth of the jar or container as it is the cap chute. The cap feeder as a whole is adjustable to accommodate jars of different height. The soft rubber roller 14 is driven in a manner to be explained later from the driving mechanism of the conveyor belt. It is driven at a rate of speed which is such that the linear speed of the surface of this roller substantially approximates the rate of travel This roller is driven in a clockwise direction (Figure 4) and it serves to bear upon the top of the lowermost cap as this cap is withdrawn from the cap feeder the jar passing beneath the lower end of the chute and engaging the skirt of the cap. This engagement of the roller with the cap helps withdraw the cap and any tendency of the jar to be upset by the resistance to the withdrawal of the cap from the cap come.

In order to drive the roller 14, as indicated, the shaft has a sprocket 8| keyed on one end thereof. A sprocket chain 82 passes around this sprocket. This sprocket chain also passes around a sprocket 83 (Figure 3) keyed on one end of a transverse shaft 84 rotatably carried by the brackets 54. The opposite end of the shaft 84 carries a sprocket 85 which is keyed thereto and which is driven by a sprocket chain 85. The sprocket chain 86 is driven from the conveyora manner to be described subsequently.

It will be apparent that the posts 60 which support the cap-feeding chute are carried at the rear ends of supporting arms 81. These arms 81 extend forwardly parallel with the conveyor and are secured at 88 to a plate 89 which is disposed in parallel relationship to the conveyor and above the conveyor. The manner in which this plate 89 is supported will be described later.

It will be apparent that the cap-feeding and applying means will apply the caps to the upper ends of the containers in such a manner that they will merely rest loosely thereon. It will also be apparent that as the containers pass to the cap-applying means, the fingers 42 properly center them relative to the cap-applying means. After the caps have been applied loosely to the I I the caps will be fed into the upper l cnd n! the chute either manually one by one or automatically from a magazine.

moved along by the conveyor below of the conveyor belt.

feeder is thereby overthreaded as "at threaded portion I08 of each of the posts is a sprocket I0I provided with a threaded opening- 89. The plate 89 is supported on vertically disposed po-sts I 05. I have shown three of these posts but any suitable number may be provided.- These posts extend through the top of the table on opposite sides of the conveyor belt and are suitably mounted in the openings in th top of the table for vertical sliding movement relative thereto. The lower ends of these posts I05 are I06. Cooperating with the through which the threaded portion of'the post passes. Each of these sprockets is rotatably' mounted but is supported on the table in such a manner that it will not move vertically by suitable means. It will be apparent that if the sprockets IO'I are rotated the posts I05, which are connected to the plate 89 in such a manner that they will not rotate, will all be moved simultaneously either up or down. "This will move the supporting plate 89 up or down. In order to rotate all the sprockets I'I'II simultaneously they are connected together by a sprocket chain I08. The chain I08 may be moved manually by means of a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft I09 which may be rotated by a crank IIO disposed outside of the housing 6; The shaft I09 is provided with a worm II I meshing with a wormgear I I2 splined on one of the posts I05. The sprocket I01 on this post is connected to gear I I2 by a sleeve I I2a. Thus, by merely rotating the handwheel IIO the plate 89 may be raised or lowered.

It will be apparent that raising orlowering the plate 89 will cause the cap-feeding and applying unit 3 to be raised or lowered bodily. This will also cause the sealing heat unit 4 to be raised or lowered bodily. Thusgby merely rotating handwheel I I0, the apparatus may be quickly adjusted to accommodate containers of different heights. a g

In Figure 6, I show a slightly difl'erent form of cap-feeding means. In this form the member 56a which is similar to member 56 of Figures 4 and 5 is continued downwardly and is curved the same as the members 5 I of the chute. The roller 14a in this instance is not positively driven and is mounted on member 'IIa similar to member 11 of Figures 4 and 5. This structure will operate substantially the same as. that of Figures 4 and 5 with the exception that the container will withi.

draw the cap without the aid of the positively driven roller.

Although I have described my cap-feeding device in connection with a machine of the type disclosed in my application Serial No. 266,913, it will be understood that it may be used with other machines. v

It will be apparent that my cap-feeding device is simple but effective. It can be readily adjusted for caps of various thicknesses and diameters. The lowermost cap is held in position to be engaged by the container in such a manner that there is no danger of its accidentally falling from the device. The caps are fed downwardly through the chute in such ,a manner that they will not ride up on each other and clog the chute. The lowermost cap may be readily withdrawn from the chute by engagement of the upper end of the container therewith, so that there will be no danger of the container being upset.

' surface of the capduring preceding description, the drawings and the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Acap-feeding device comprising a chute, means for normally maintaining a cap in the end of the chute in position to be engaged by a container moved therebeneath, a continuously moving conveyor for supporting containers and movingthem-beneath the chute, a roller adapted to contact with the upper surface of said cap as it is withdrawn form the chute, and means for driving said roller at such a speed that the linear speed of the surface of the roller is substantially the same as the speed of movement of the conveyor.

2. A cap feeding device comprising a chute,

means for normally maintaining a cap in the end of the chute in position to be engaged by a con- 7 tainer moved therebeneath, a movable conveyer for supporting containers and moving them beneath the chute, a roller adapted to contact with the upper surface of said cap as it is withdrawn from the chute, and meansfor driving said roller at such a speed that the linear speed of the surface of the roller is substantially the same as the speed of movement of the conveyer.

3. A cap feeding device comprising an inclined chute for supporting the caps in edge-to-edge relationship, means associated with the lower end of the chute for normally holding the lowermost cap in such a position that it will be engaged by the upper end of a container, moved therebeneath, said means comprising a finger supported at each side of the lower end of the cap chute and projecting forwardly beyond the lower end of th cap chute, said fingers having spring members associated therewith for urging them towards each other so that they will engage the cap beyond the diameter thereof, a presser member associated with the lower end of the chute and disposed substantially at the lower extremity of the chute above the rear portion of the lowermost cap held in position by said fingers, and a most cap in such a position that it will be en gaged by the" upper end of a container inove'd therebenea'th, said means comprising a finger supported at each side of the lower end of the cap chute and projecting forwardlyzbeyondthe end of the cap chute, said fingers having spring members associated therewith for urging them toward each other so that they will engage the ,cap, and a roller member associated with the lower end of, the chute for engaging the upper the time it is being withdrawn from the chute by the container, said roller member being disposed at a point ahead of the point where the lowermost cap is engaged by S2 id fingers which is substantially at the forward edge of said cap.

WILLIAM D. BELL.

Various other advantages will appear from the. V 

